Our Work | BusinessLDN (Previously London First)

London skyline at dusk with glow from windows

Introduction

OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE LONDON THE BEST CITY IN THE WORLD IN WHICH TO DO BUSINESS, WORKING WITH AND FOR THE WHOLE UK.

BusinessLDN’s central role is ensuring that the city’s systems enable firms to grow, innovate, and succeed.

For over 30 years, BusinessLDN has established a track record of driving positive change in partnership with our cross-sector membership through our campaigning activity. We use our policy expertise, thought leadership, media profile, events programme, and a wide range of tactics to shape issues that matter most for business in London.

Our work programme, with its focus on the eternal issues at the heart of London’s success – across competitiveness, people, place, connectivity, and sustainability – prioritises action to help the city realise its full potential. And in doing so, deliver on our mission of making London the best place in the world to do business, working with and for the UK.

Read more about our priorities in our annual work programme

Find out how we’re ensuring London seizes the window of opportunity to win a bigger share of global capital in a world of economic and political uncertainty. Ready to shape London’s future with us? Explore our priorities below – and get in touch with our team to find out more about how we can help grow your business in the capital.

Commuters and red buses crossing London Bridge during rush hour

Competitiveness

Tackling barriers to investment and growth to strengthen London’s offer

The capital’s status as a world-leading city underpins its role as an engine of growth for the whole UK, delivering a £44bn net tax surplus for the country a year. London has many existing strengths that should be attractive to investors and businesses at a time of significant geopolitical uncertainty. Building on the city’s strong foundations and removing blockers to growth is essential to help seize the moment.

In 2026, we’re:

Strengthening London’s pitch to the world.

Ensuring the London Growth Plan delivers.

Championing a vibrant cultural sector.

Developing innovative infrastructure funding and finance models.

Growth Commission

BusinessLDN’s Growth Commission is a private sector plan to remove barriers and set out practical steps to unlock the capital’s economic potential.

Shaping policy

Read our submissions and consultation responses to help shape the right policy, tax and regulatory environment, which is fundamental to competitiveness.

Our insights

We help our members navigate through uncertain times by sharing the latest policy and economic insights affecting businesses operating within London.

People drinking at Broadway Circle, Liverpool Street Station

People

Enabling business to attract and retain a diverse workforce

At a time when some of our rivals are pulling away the welcome mat, we will continue to champion the benefits of an open and outward-looking capital as a source of competitive advantage. Alongside this, our work will focus on getting more Londoners into good jobs in the face of a rapidly changing labour market, including advances in AI.

In 2026, we’re:

Helping to deliver an employer-led skills system

Ensuring London and Londoners win at AI

Championing talented individuals from home and abroad

Speaker giving a talk in conference hall at business event. Audience at the conference hall.

The London Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)

The London LSIP sets out a blueprint for getting more Londoners into better, higher-paying jobs by better matching training provision to employer demand.

Artificial Intelligence

We are investigating the current and future impact of AI on workforces, with emphasis on how these changes affect London’s labour market and how the capital can best respond.

Crowds of office workers walking across London Bridge from the City of London past Tower Bridge in the background

Skills, Talent and Immigration

Just as London needs a reliable transport system which is properly funded with clear accountability, it must have a well-functioning, cohesive and easy to navigate skills system.

Two young female specialists in sewing clothes working together in workshop one amputee

Inclusion and Diversity

London’s unparalleled diversity is a vital driving force behind the capital’s position as one of the best cities in the world to do business, and inclusion is central to keeping it that way.

The southbank in London with restaurants, bars and shops.

Place

Creating spaces that enable people to thrive and business to succeed

The built environment is the backbone of the city, and planning for its future is vital to maintaining London’s competitive edge. To ensure the capital remains an affordable place to live, work, and study, we must build more homes. The Government has recently introduced welcome planning reforms and, through the spending review, greater public investment. But more action is needed now to deliver London’s annual 88,000 new homes target, and to start making homes more affordable for all.

In 2026, we’re:

Shaping national and London planning policy

Ramping up housing supply

Tackling London’s temporary accommodation challenge

Aerial View from Westminster Cathedral on Roofs and Houses of London

Housing

The housing crisis that London faces is well documented, but there is no silver bullet. Our work focuses on practical measures to accelerate housebuilding and development in the capital.

Residential development in south west London.

Planning & Development

BusinessLDN advocates for a planning system in London that is pro-growth to support our mission and maintain London’s reputation as a great place to work, live and play.

Town Centres and BIDs

We are working to ensure the capital’s high streets, town centres and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) remain vibrant and diverse to maintain London’s reputation.

Skyward view of London City skyscrapers at twilight

Commercial Property

Our work is focussed ensuring national and London policy is helping the commercial property market to evolve and grow.

Connectivity

Connectivity

Keeping London moving and investing in its infrastructure

Transport is an enabler of sustainable growth and unlocks opportunity, connecting people to jobs and firms to international markets. Ensuring London is well connected across the city, across the UK, and internationally is a core focus of our activity. After multiple sticking-plaster deals, Transport for London was granted a four-year funding settlement at the Spending Review. While this was welcome, the capital’s growing population underlines the need for investment in several big-ticket transport projects, such as the DLR and Bakerloo extensions, West London Orbital, and eventually Crossrail 2.

In 2026, we’re:

Boosting global connectivity

Shaking up transport fares

Campaigning for the big transport projects the capital needs

Global Connectivity

We are helping hold the Government accountable for the timely delivery of critical projects that will strengthen London’s international connectivity.

Electric cars charging at Electric Vehicle Charging Points at a British motorway service station

Infrastructure

Our infrastructure programme seeks to understand the specific challenges facing infrastructure funding and delivery across the capital.

Walk way of modern residential buildings, Facade of new low-energy houses

Sustainability

Sustainability

Helping to create a cleaner, greener capital and make London more resilient to climate change

Cities are where the rubber hits the road on global emissions targets. London has an ambitious 2030 net-zero goal, yet it produces 40% of UK emissions. With its green economy set to double to £100 billion by 2030, London can lead globally by developing technologies that drive growth and jobs – from retrofitting homes and heritage properties to Sustainable Aviation Fuels. At the same time, extreme weather events like heatwaves and flooding mean climate resilience is rising on the agenda and increasingly threatens the capital’s competitiveness.

In 2026, we’re:

Ensuring London has the infrastructure needed to support the clean energy transition

Bringing together businesses to share their net zero journey